


if your heart has seen better days (it will see them again)

by meetmeinthecosmos



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adorable Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Character Death Fix, F/M, Family Fluff, Gerald the alpaca is a jerk, Happy Hogan is a Good Bro, Not Canon Compliant, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Gets A Hug, Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Pepper is a tough cookie, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon Fix-It, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Uncle Happy Hogan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21675784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meetmeinthecosmos/pseuds/meetmeinthecosmos
Summary: All he wanted was to dance with Pepper, eat juice pops with Morgan, watch Star Wars with Peter, laugh with Rhodey, and get cheeseburgers with Happy.So he was given a choice.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Happy Hogan & Tony Stark, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	if your heart has seen better days (it will see them again)

  
_"Stark, you don't deserve to be up here."_  
"Yeah, I know. I'm not exactly heaven material, am I?" Tony shrugged at the adeity's words, half-expecting to be banished to the underworld forever.  
The creator of the universe laughed at the hilarity of the billionaire's statement.  
_"That's not what I meant. It's been 4 years. And I've watched you for longer than that. Family means everything to you, I have come to realize. You willingly gave up your life and the chance to live with your loved ones by snapping your fingers; wiping out the evil that has plagued you for years."_  
Tony continued to stare out into the distance of the earthly paradise.  
"They're... they're fine. I know that. I wouldn't have done what I did if I didn't already know they were going to be there after I was gone."  
_"You are beyond worthy of your current surroundings. I'll give you a choice. You can keep your well-deserved eternal rest, or you can return to Earth and be with the people you cherish most. I'll give you some time to think about it."_  
With that, Tony was alone again.  
Those words hung heavy in his mind.  
Should he?  
He was  
just  
so  
tired.  
  
But not of his loving wife.  
Pepper.  
Or his best friends.  
Happy.  
Rhodey.  
His pretty-much-a-son-to-him.  
Peter.  
His team.  
The Avengers.  
And his precious little girl. His purpose.  
His second chance.  
Morgan.  
  
He took a deep breath.  
  
_In._  
  
_Out._  
  
And knew what he had to do.  
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫  
"Heads up, Happy!"  
The bodyguard looked up from his phone just in time to see Morgan send the frisbee slicing through the air, heading right to him.  
With a quick movement of his hand he caught it and sent it flying back toward the 9 year-old, a huge smile on his face.  
"Do you know when mom's bringing out the lemonade? I'm seriously thirsty right now," Morgan asked as she threw the blue disc back to Happy.  
"Oh, I don't know, kiddo, probably soo-"  
Happy let the aerodynamic toy sail right by him, jaw dropping in disbelief.  
"Happy, the frisbee..." Morgan giggled, peering behind him to see where it landed. Her laugh soon fizzled out when she noticed his expression.  
He couldn't get any words out.  
Not even a whisper.  
Following his eyes, she turned around, coming face-to-face with someone she  
missed so, so, _so_ much. Tears were beginning to slip down her face, but she noticed some on his, too. He was someone she had cried for weeks over.  
Someone who let her sled (almost) using Captain America's shield.  
Someone who _loved_ cherry juice pops, but loved _her_ 3000.  
  
Her dad.  
  
"Hey, Morguna."  
  
She ran into his arms.  
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫 He held her. Felt her. _Breathed_ her _._  
His little girl, not so little anymore.  
_Morgan._  
"I missed you so much, Squirt. So much."  
"I missed you, too, Daddy."  
Tony set her down and kneeled, grasping her hands and looking right into her bottomless, teary brown eyes.  
"Look how big you've gotten...God, I missed so much, didn't I, Madame Secretary? I mean, how old are you? 10? 11?"  
Morgan smiled, a broad ray of cuteness.  
"I just turned 9!"  
"Oh, my gosh! You're an old lady now, Little Miss." Morgan giggled at her father's statement, her eyes crinkling in the corners and her dimples showing. "And Happy's been taking good care of you, right?" The billionaire looked up at his old friend. "I don't even need to ask, do I?"  
He stood up and pulled the stunned bodyguard into a tight hug.  
"Tony...wha-"  
Happy was cut off by the sound of a door closing. Pepper walked down the steps, carefully avoiding a small toy while balancing several glasses perched on a ceramic platter.  
"Morgan, honey, you're going to have to pause your game. I brought you and Happy-"  
The tray carrying glasses of lemonade slid from Pepper's shaking hands.  
  
F a l l i n g.  
  
_Shattering._  
  
Her mind raced, suddenly overwhelmed with the uncomprehendable sight she was witnessing. He was someone she loved with her whole heart and soul.  
Someone she knew from the very beginning was the only one for her.  
Someone who gave his life so his family would be safe forever.  
  
She had watched as the last bit of life drained out of him.  
  
Eyes dim.  
Heart at peace.  
  
Yet there he was, spinning their daughter around in circles.  
  
Her husband.  
  
_Tony_.  
  
She fell to her knees.  
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫  
Tony's eyes welled up with tears as he walked over to his wife, her ocean blue eyes now red rimmed and glassy.  
He kneeled down, gently removing his wife's hands from her gorgeous face and pulling her to her feet.  
"I don't believe this."  
"Believe it, Pep. I'm here. Forever," Tony replied, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.  
Pepper wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the top of her strawberry-blonde hair, holding her as tight as he could.  
  
He held her. Felt her. _Breathed_ her.  
His everything.  
  
She lifted her head, peering up at him with a tear-streaked face.  
"How are you here, Tony? I watched you die. We all did. What...what happened?"  
He smiled.  
"Hell didn't want me, I guess."  
"Oh my God," Pepper laughed, shaking her head at her dork of a husband.  
He pulled her in close, swaying ever so slightly.  
"Hey Tony,"  
"Yes?"  
"You owe me about a thousand gogis now. Gerald's an ass."  
He just laughed.  
"I'm serious, Tony." But she wasn't. Her wide smile gave it all away. "He always seems to find a way to-"  
She was cut off by a little boy running out of the cottage, holding up  
a piece  
of paper  
scribbled with  
red and yellow  
crayon.  
  
The couple turned, Pepper's eyes welling up with tears while Tony wore an expression of bewilderment.  
"Mommy! Guess what? I made this for you," the toddler babbled on and on adorably about the drawing as Pepper bent down.  
"Oh, sweetheart. I love it. You did such a good job, baby." Pepper swallowed thickly, her breath catching on the lump in her throat.  
  
  
_I t w a s I r o n M a n_.  
  
  
  
_"Pep."_

Tony's voice was a hoarse whisper.

She gently took hold of the boy's small hand and led him closer to her husband.

"Tony..."  
  
"This is your son."  
  
  
He fell to his knees.  
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫  
Bottomless brown eyes.  
Chocolate curls.  
  
_Oh my God._  
  
_This is his kid._  
  
Tony took his son's face in his shaking hands.  
"You definitely got your looks from me, didn't you?" His voice shook as bad as his hands, he realized. His kid smiled. "Do you have a name?"  
The littlest Stark giggled infectiously.  
  
"I'm Miles."  
  
"Miles Anthony," Pepper added, her voice  
a near whisper.  
  
Tony stared at her.  
  
"I found out a few weeks after you...you know." A tear slipped down her cheek.  
Tony closed his eyes, burying his head in his hands.  
"God...I'm so sorry Pep. I shouldn't have...if I had known..."  
"I didn't even know, Tony. You had to do it. I knew you would do what needed to be done. Always." She kneeled down beside him, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.  
Tony sighed deeply, wiping away the tears that managed to trickle down his face silently, and looked Miles in the eyes.  
"You've got one strong mom, Miles."  
"I know. I love her tons," he said, enveloping his teary mother in a hug. "She talked about you a lot. And how you saved the whole universe! I was sad I didn't ever know you. But you came back!" He leaped into Tony's arms, wrapping his small body around his dad.  
  
Tony smiled, standing up and helping Pepper to her feet. "Yes. Yes I did. And I wouldn't change a thing."

Morgan slid in beside him, curling up in the crook of his arm while Pepper leaned in close. He picked Miles up, the little boy wrapping his arms around his dad's neck. Tony draped an arm around his precious baby girl, pressing a kiss to the top of  
her head,  
then Pepper's,  
then Miles'.  
  
Happy watched the happy family from the background. He caught Tony's eye for a split second, smiled and waved, then drove off.  
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫  
_Home._  
  
He'd forgotten what it felt like.  
  
With family.  
And friends.  
  
He smiled to himself, knowing he made the right decision.  
He would watch his kids grow up.  
Enjoy his years with the woman he loves.  
Spend precious time with those he cares about the most.  
  
This felt right.  
  
He had waited long enough.  
  
  
  
Now, it was time to live.

**Author's Note:**

> that honestly took me forever to write bc I had the worst writer's block ever right in the middle of it.  
> anyway, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out overall.
> 
> Feel free to drop comments or kudos!


End file.
